Beehive.



No. 669,37l. Patented mar, 5, mm. n. c. PULLINS.

BEEHIVE.

(Application filed Oct. 6, 1900.) (No Model.)

STATES UNrrn ATENI" truce.

DAVID C. PULLINS, OF PAINTLIOK, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT A. STONE, OF LANCASTER, KENTUCKY.

BEEHIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,371, dated March 5, 1901. Application filed October 6, 1900. Serial No. 32,213. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID C. PULLINS, of Paintlick, in the county of Garrard and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beehive Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to beehive-feeders.

The primary object is to provide improved means for feeding the bees during the winter season.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical view through the honey-section, showing the section-board positioned to allow the bees to pass to the feed-board. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the section-board reversed to cut off the entrance to the honeysection.

1 designates the main hive, which may be of an y preferred construction, that shown embodying a main chamber 2, having an entrance-opening 2 at the bottom, the upper section-board 3, a honey-board I, and a top 5, the latter having depending flanges 6, by which itis kept in position. The honey-board 4 has a button 7, by which it may be raised and against which the top 5 contacts to prevent the board being raised by the bees. Within chamber 2 may be located a combframe 8 of any preferred form.

9 is the honey-apartment. Its bottom 10 and side walls 12 are shown as continuations of the bottom and sides, respectively, of the main hive, while the top 13 and end wall 14 are shown as united, so that they will be removed together. The wall14 has face-grooves 15 to accommodate the ends of walls 12, while the corners of the top are out out to secure a snug fit against the strips 16 and end piece 17. A button 17 looks the top and end walls in place. In the dividingwvall 18 is a screencovered opening 19 to allow the heat of the main hive to pass into the honey-apartment.

The lower edge of this wall is cut away to form an opening or passage-way 20, through which the bees may freely pass, said opening being in direct line with the entrance-opening 2 \Vithin the honey-apartment in the winter season is placed a feed-board 2 l, formed with numerous pockets 22 and an inclined edge 23. A section-board 24, formed with slots 25, is located above the feed-board and at one end is thickened or provided with a cross-strip 26, by which the passage-way 20 may be closed to prevent the bees entering the honey-apartment when it is desired to remove the honey, (see Fig. 3;) but when the bees are feeding from the feed-board the section-board 24; is reversed, end for end, to allow of the free passage of the bees onto the inclined end of the feed-board. (See Fig. 2.)

In practice when the feed-board is em ployed the bees will take up the feed in the holes or pockets thereof, clearing up as they go, and when fully fed will pass back into the main hive. This will continue until all the feed-supply is exhausted, the board being left perfectly clean. The feed-board may be replenished, if necessary; but after the bees have been sufficiently fed the section-board is reversed to cut off the passage-way to the main hive until the proper time to allow the bees to enter the honey-apartment. The section-board is then again reversed to allow the bees to pass into the honey-apartment, when they will pass upwardly through the slots in the section-board and deposit their honey on the latter., If, however, it is desired to have the honey deposited in an ordinary honey-box, (not shown,) the feed and section boards are removed and the box positioned with its opening in line with the passage-way 20.

I claim as my invention- 1. A beehive having a main hive-chamber, afeeding-apartment having a passage-way into said main hive-chamber, a feed-board in said feeding-apartment, a slotted sectionboard also in said feeding-apartment, and means secured to said slotted section-board for closing said passage-way, as set forth.

2. A beehive having a main hive-chamber, a feeding-apartment having a passage-way into said main hive-chamber, and-a slotted section-board in said feeding-apartment, one .end of said slotted section-board being desaid chamber and apartment, a feed-board having a series of pockets therein and an inclined edge, and a section-board above said feed-board having a series of slots, one end of said section-board being, constructed to close said passage-way, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID C. PULLINS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM WARD, O. U. SHUGERS. 

